Retaliation
by fanatic218
Summary: A new message from Mark sparks Ryan, Mike, and Max into action to save Mike's mom, but is that all Mark has planned?
1. Chapter 1

Mike could feel his heart beating hard and fast in his chest as he bolted from the car and pushed his way through the front door, knocking a local patrolman over in the process, Max and Ryan not far behind him.

"Mom!" he called out, his shoulders and chest heaving.

"Michael!" his mom cried as she jumped off the couch and ran to him with her arms open. Max and Ryan walked into the house to find mother and son in a tight embrace. They both paused momentarily to sigh in relief, then Ryan turned to the deputy and the two walked down the hall for an update, but Max stayed rooted where she was, watching Mike and his mother for a bit longer. Thank god she was safe. For now.

_~Three hours earlier~_

The light coming in from the window hit Mike's face, burning his eyes, even behind closed lids. He blinked to adjust to the morning light, but a weight on his chest kept him from sitting up. He looked down to see Max's head on his chest, her body molded to his on the couch of her apartment. Was it already morning? He saw a couple bottles of beer and the take out food they ordered still on the table.

Mike looked back down back at Max, taking in her beautiful features as she slept peacefully atop of him. Catching the time on the cable box, he softly kissed her forehead and rubbed her arm. "Hey, Max. Wake up baby" he whispered, his voice still thick with sleep. The hand on his chest fisted in his shirt from the day before as she shook her head, refusing to get off of him. He kissed her head again, and this time she opened her eyes and smiled, face still buried in his chest.

"Good morning, Mike," she said, pressing herself closer into him. He tilted her chin upward and kissed her lips lightly.

"Morning," he replied with a smile. She smiled back and pushed herself up onto her elbow on the edge of the couch. They exchanged a lazy kiss once more and sat up together. "Agent Clark is expecting me at 9 – mind if I hop in the shower first?" he asked. She shook her head as he stood and pulled her up with him.

"I'll start the coffee," she said, kissing him again, this time a little firmer and longer. It escalated from there, and soon he was pushing her back onto the couch as he hovered over her, hands easing her tank top up as his lips assaulted hers. Although she could stay like that for hours, she moved her hands to his chest and gently pushed him off. "You have to get in the shower," she said, smiling.

"You're more than welcome to keep me company," he retorted, pressing quick, short kisses to her smiling mouth as she laughed against his lips.

"Go, go, you creep!" she laughed, pushing at his chest again. He smiled as he got up and made his way to the master bathroom. She too sat up and walked into the small kitchen of her apartment. "That's the last time we're sleeping on the couch. I don't care how lazy we feel next time, the bed is so much more comfortable," she called out to him as she rolled her shoulders and neck.

"I'm putting all the blame on you for that. I wasn't the one trapping you beneath me all night," he replied with a smile in his voice. She dropped her head and blushed even though he couldn't see her anymore.

"Yeah, whatever," she said rolling her eyes with a smile. Just as she heard the shower start, her phone rang.

"Hey, Ryan!" she said. "I'll be over in an hour if you're still on for breakfast." No response. "Ryan?"

"Max, something happened. I need you to come to the bureau right now," Ryan said, his voice shaking. Instantly, Max was on edge and dropped what she was doing to run to the bedroom and change clothes.

"Yeah, I'm leaving soon. Ryan, what happened?" Nothing again. "Ryan!" she yelled.

"We were sent a video from Mark outside a house with a woman." Max's heart stopped and her whole body shook with a chill.

"It was of Mike's mom, wasn't it?" she choked out. Ryan's silence confirmed it. "Oh god," she breathed. She looked towards the bathroom door where Mike was still in the shower. "You're not thinking about keeping him in the dark about this, are you" she asked, careful not to speak too loudly.

"Wish I could, but I know we have to tell him." Silence again. "What is this going to do to him, Max?" She didn't even know how to answer.

"You have local PD and FBI on route to secure her?" she asked.

"And U.S. Marshalls. I requested the same security detail that secured Claire. We'll have chopper ready to fly us over once you and Mike get there. I gotta call him now, just be here as soon as you can," Ryan said.

"No, no, I'll call him. You keep working with the bureau to keep Mrs. Weston secure." Ryan didn't know about them yet and she knew that Mike would take it better from her and in person.

"Alright, I'll keep you posted." With that, they clicked off. With Mike still in the shower, Max quickly changed and walked into the bathroom, her heart beating in her throat.

"Ah, so you did decide to join me," Mike joked when he heard the bathroom door open. He peaked his head out from behind the curtain when she didn't answer him. Upon seeing her face, he immediately turned off the water and grabbed his towel. "Max, what happened?" he asked.

She looked at him and didn't know how to say it. It was less than six months since he lost his dad, and now his mother was in danger. "Get dressed, plans changed," was all she was able to get out.

"Max, I don't understand. What's going on?"

"Get dressed, Mike!" she yelled, her voice shaking. "Mark sent a message."

* * *

Ryan heard Mike before he saw him. The sound of slamming doors and knocked over desks and chairs in his was unmistakable.

"Show me the video," the younger man demanded, his voice shaking. Max came through the door a second behind him. A tech was about to protest, but Ryan nodded and somberly said, "Play it."

Mike looked straight at the big screen as the video started playing.

"Hello, Michael," said a smirking Mark. Mike's fists clenched and his whole body shook. The camera then turned to show a view of Mike's parents house where his mom still lived, alone. "Now I know that you recognize this place. It looks cozy. Hard to believe that the coldblooded man who killed my mother was raised in there. Oh look!" Mike put his hand over his mouth as tears welled up in his eyes. The video was being taken from across the street from inside a car. They watched as Mike's mother came out of the garage to bring the trashcans to the curb. Mark turned the camera back onto himself.

"She looks so nice! Maybe I'll introduce myself," he said with a smirk. Mike was shaking his head and tears started to fall. This couldn't happen, not again.

"Not yet though! Mother always said I was good at being patient. I miss her. Tell me, Mike, do you miss your father?" Mark smiled again, almost as if he could see Mike breaking down. "This is a courtesy call. I'm not going to kill anyone yet. I'm waiting for the perfect time to take away the woman you love. I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon, Mike." And with that, the video clicked off.

"Son of a bitch!" Mike cried out, throwing a punch at the wall.

"Your mom is secure, and to be safe, I had the Marshalls check on your brothers and their family, too. A chopper is upstairs waiting to take us to Virginia," Ryan said, unsure if Mike even heard him. His eyes were still fixed on the screen.

"Mike," Max said softly. "Mike, it's time to go," she urged gently. With that, he snapped out of it immediately and grabbed the bag he had dropped to the floor, fighting off the tears.

"Then what are we waiting for, let's go," he barked, running out of the room and to the roof where the helicopter was waiting. The three loaded in with Agent Clark and the chopper took off, Ryan with the pilot up front giving orders. Max looked over at Mike, who was leaning back eyes closed against the seat, trying to control his breathing. With a quick glance to make sure Clark wasn't watching them, she reached between her and Mike to pick up his hand. To her surprised and relief, he didn't try to pull away, but squeezed hard. He opened his eyes to look at her and she could see the panic in his eyes. She just squeezed back. He closed his eyes and tried to drive out his fear for the rest of the flight.

* * *

After Mike's reunion with his mother, Max let Mike take charge of her personal safety while she and Ryan coordinated with the local police and FBI to see what they knew about the origin of the video. The house was swarming with agents from every agency, all focused on the manhunt for Mark Gray.

"Agent Weston!" another agent called out from the kitchen where the FBI had set up.

"Max?" he says as a way to ask her to sit with his mom until he got back. She nodded and excused herself from Agent Clark and walked over to Mike's mom.

"Can I sit?" she asked. Truth be told, she was a little nervous, and not just because of the situation with Mark. After all, she was meeting Mike's mom for the first time as his girlfriend under dire circumstances.

The woman nodded. "So, you're Max?" she asked with the smallest of smiles. Max nodded.

"I'm Max."

"Mike tells me a lot about you. I remember you from the funeral, but it's nice to officially meet you," she said, taking the younger woman's hand in her own.

"It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Weston," Max said back, giving the woman's hand a light squeeze and a small reassuring smile.

"Please, call me Brenda. Mike tells me that you're keeping it quiet at work for now," she whispered, and Max looked around reflexively before nodding. "Well regardless, I'm glad that you've been there for him. Mike has always had a hard time opening up, but he says that you help. I can't thank you enough for that," Brenda said with a tear in her eye. At that, Max was a little teary eyed herself.

Max opened her mouth to say something when Mike walked back over. "You two okay?" he asked. He looked down at his mom and girlfriend on the couch and saw their clasped hands. His heart swelled, and had he not been under so much stress, he would have smiled. Both women nodded and Mike took a seat next to his mom and rested a hand on her knee. "You hungry mom?" Mike asked.

Brenda laughed. "Starving. I should make something for all these nice people. But I assume I can't go to the grocery store, can I?" she asked with a sad smile.

"I'm sorry," Mike said.

"You know I would always cook for your dad? He loved it and cooking used to just…" she trailed off, blinking back tears in her eyes threatening to fall.

"Why don't you make me a list? I can make a stop," Max suggested. Brenda looked over at her and tears that were pent up in her eyes fell. Max could see Mike looking at her too. She gave them both a small smile.

Brenda wiped her eyes and nodded. "I'd like that a lot. Thank you," she whispered. Max looked at Mike, who was obviously fighting off tears as well.

"Thank you," he mouthed to her. Max pulled a pen and pad of paper off the coffee table and handed it to Brenda. "Max, a minute?" Mike asked. She nodded and the two stepped off into a deserted hallway. Once they knew they were alone, Mike grabbed her and pulled her tight into his arms, his face buried in her hair. She rubbed his back and planted small, innocent kisses on his shoulder and collarbone. They stood like that for a minute before pulling back just enough to see each other's face.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" he asked, nervousness in his voice.

"Of course, it'll give her something to do. Some normalcy. You both need that," she replied.

"I'm going with you," Mike said, but Max shook her head.

"No, Mike, you have to stay here. He wants you off guard. Stay with your mom, make sure she's safe. Lily Grey had contacts everywhere, and Mark might have access to them. They could easily have an inside agent or officer. Be careful with her and wait for anything from Mark, okay?" she said. Mike knew she was right, but he didn't want to let her go either. He nodded though. He didn't trust anyone else with his mom anyway.

"Okay, and thank you for doing this. She's gonna love you. I already do," Mike said with a slight smile which Max returned. Max stretched up onto her tiptoes and gave him a soft and sweet kiss on the lips before walking back into the living room. Five minute later, she got into her car and drove off to the store. "I love you," she mouthed to Mike through the window before she sped off.

* * *

Mike was getting more and more agitated by the minute. "What's his plan here, Ryan? He sends the video to get us here, but he hasn't approached my mom or the house. He can't make a move with all the security around the house, and even if he had one, why didn't he do it by now? I don't get it!"

To be honest, Ryan was confused, too. Nothing about this was adding up. "Something is missing. He's waiting for something," Ryan said.

"But what?" Mike almost yelled. The aggravation was clear in his voice. "Can we trust these people?" Mike asked Ryan, dropping his voice as he motioned to the local PD and unknown agents from the bureau and other agencies. The two men surveyed them for a moment.

"If we can't, they won't make a move with us there. Just don't let anyone separate your mom from one of us, and we can move her into witness protection in the morning once we know who we can trust," Ryan said under his breath, though it did nothing to calm Mike, who slammed his fist on the counter and walked into the kitchen to check on the tech's status on tracking where the video Mark sent came from.

Just then, the phone rang. It had been off the hook all morning with friends and family calling to check in, but it was still wired to the tracker just in case. Everyone came into the kitchen and Mike hit the answer button.

"Hello, Mike," came Mark's voice. Mike's hand curled and his jaw clenched. Brenda covered her mouth, knowing this was the man who had killed her husband and was out for her and her son. Ryan motioned for the techs to start tracking the call immediately, and everyone suddenly seemed to gather all around the phone.

"Mark. I was beginning to wonder when we were going to hear from you," Mike spat. Chuckling was heard on the other end of the phone.

"Mike, you sound angry! Am I under your skin already? The fun hasn't even started yet!" Something in Mark's voice made Mike even madder.

"I left you a present, Mike. You might like it too, Ryan!" Instantly, the two were on edge. "It's under the doormat. Go ahead, go get it!" The silence was deafening as Ryan sent an agent to the front door, who came back with a large sealed envelope with Mike's name on it. "Now open it up, I'm excited to begin," Mark taunted.

Mike ripped open the envelope and pulled out a stack of pictures. His breath caught in his throat as he looked at the first one and he froze.

"What is it?" Ryan anxiously whispered. They heard laughing over the phone. Mike threw down the first picture, only to find another, and another, and another. The room started spinning and he grabbed onto the counter for support.

"You son of a bitch," Mike breathed, still not recovered. Ryan stared at the pictures on the counter, and Brenda cried out when she saw them too. They were of Max. Some were from across the street of the two of them walking hand in hand, or on a street corner looking at each other, smiling. Others were through windows of them out to dinner miles away from where they lived to avoid being seen. But the ones Mike couldn't tear his eyes from were taken in her apartment. They looked like still shots from a video camera planted in her living room. There were pictures of her and Mike together: drinking, talking, laughing, kissing. The last picture was one of the two of them standing and holding one another, smiling as he cupped her face and her hand was on his heart. In red ink, Mark had written on the picture, "I'm waiting for the perfect time to take away the woman you love," his words from the video.

"I will kill you, do you hear me?" Mike screamed. He looked up at Ryan, who was transfixed on the pictures, an indistinguishable expression on his face.

"You've been awfully quiet, Uncle Ryan. What's it like, finding out that Mike Weston, your partner and close friend, is fucking your niece? Must suck. Especially since she's going to die because of him. Too bad, huh?" Mark's voice was obviously amused, like he was having fun with the entire situation.

"You're a dead man, Mark. When I find you, because I will, you're done," Ryan said, his voice so hard and detached that it actually caused Mark to pause.

"She already had it coming, but it all started with you, Mike. Yu started all of this when you put my brother in the hospital. So naturally Mike, mother and I had to kill your father. But then, you coldblooded bastard, you killed my mother. And Max here, see she killed my brother. You all are getting what was coming to you. Don't you see? SHE'S GOING TO DIE BECAUSE OF YOU!" Mark screamed. He was starting to unravel. Mike was quivering from panic and anger.

Suddenly his tone changed. He sounded almost merry. "You have someone who wants to say hello!" The audible sound of duct tape being ripped off skin was unmistakable.

"Mike," a weak voice breathed out. "Don't listen to him…not your fault," she muttered. Mike could hardly breath.

"Oh, Max, Max, Max. You really shouldn't lie," Mark said, and then there was the sound of a pocketknife opening.

"NO!" both Mike and Ryan screamed at the same time. "Please, Mark, don't do this. It's me you want, I'm the one who killed your mother. Take me, don't take her. Please, take me instead," Mike pleaded, tears falling down his face. There was silence on the other end, and for one hopeful second, Mike thought Mark might take the offer.

"Too late."

* * *

After Mark disconnected the line, a crushing silence fell upon the room. Then suddenly, Ryan launched himself across the kitchen, flinging himself at Mike.

"You! You led him right to her! I will kill you, Mike. I will kill you," the older man vowed, his chest heaving as three agents had to pull him off of Mike. "This is your fault, your fault!" Ryan's anger was taking over him, and he shook with rage and grief.

Mike stayed where Ryan had pushed him against the wall, unable to breath. The room was spinning and everything was a blur. Everything with his mother was a distraction. A distraction to get to Max, and he handed her right over to him. He gave Mark the perfect way to enact his revenge, by killing the woman he loved.

Mike sunk to the ground, shaking and starting to cry. _Too late_, he heard over and over in his mind. Max was dead. Ryan and Mark were right – it was his fault. It was all his fault. He was just about to scream when someone cried out, "I got a location!"

Instantly, Mike and Ryan both made a grab for the pen and paper the tech scribbled the address on.

"You're done, Mike. You've done enough," Ryan said, his voice hard but cracking at the same time.

"Ryan – " Mike started, anger welling up in him. How dare he tell him not to come.

"You have no right to come anywhere near her, do you understand? You don't get to touch her; you don't even get to look at her. You don't even deserve to speak her name, and you sure as hell don't get to bring back her - her." Her body. Ryan said it all that same terrifying tone until his voice cracked at the end, but Mike wouldn't back down.

"You're wasting time arguing with me, I'm going," Mike asserted, pushing past the group as he grabbed his keys and ran to the car, Ryan and others not far behind him. He and Ryan hopped in separate cars, speeding off to the abandoned property with one mission in mind. Kill Mark Grey.

* * *

Max was relieved when Mark ripped the duct tape off of her mouth, but it was still hard to breath. The drug he had injected into her made her feel so, so weak. "Mike," she breathed out, cursing herself for not sounding stronger. "Don't listen to him…not your fault," she muttered. She wanted to tell Ryan not to be blame him too, and that she was sorry for leaving him like the rest of the Hardy clan, but Mark already pulled the phone away from her face.

"Oh, Max, Max, Max. You really shouldn't lie," Mark said, and then there was the sound of a pocketknife opening. She opened her heavy eyes enough to see the blade reflect the light coming in from the window.

"NO!" she heard Mike and Ryan screamed at the same time, then just Mike's. "Please, Mark, don't do this. It's me you want, I'm the one who killed your mother. Take me, don't take her. Please, take me instead," her boyfriend pleaded. She shook her head even though he couldn't see and prayed that Mark wouldn't agree. The look Mark had on his face was terrifying. He was so disturbed, she saw it in his eyes, and she knew it was the end.

"Too late," he said, clicking off the phone with one hand, and raising the one with the knife in the other. With all the strength she had, Max launched herself forward and grabbed his arm, slamming him back against the counter, careful not to let go of his wrist holding the knife. Her unexpected strength threw him off guard and she took advantage of slight upper hand she had for as long as she could. Max dug her nails into his wrist until he dropped the knife, and the grabbed another from behind him and drove it into his back. She pulled it out and shoved it in again, then tossed him to the ground.

Mark was still twitching on the floor when the adrenaline left her and she began to collapse. Her eyes were so heavy from the drug and her muscles weren't working anymore as the adrenaline wore off quickly. She looked at Mark as she sunk to the floor, unsure if he would get back up and finish her off, but accepting her fate if he did. As she closed her eyes and felt her consciousness slipping away, she wished that she could feel what it was like to be in Mike's arms one last time.

* * *

They breached the front of the house as SWAT surrounding the back. Mike and Ryan both recklessly ran, guns raised, through the house, ready to shoot at any sign of Mark. Blind rage filled both of them. They both knew that it was better to let the rage overwhelm them – the grief would be crippling.

Even though they were trying to avoid one another, two years of working together kicked in and somehow they ended up clearing the same hallway together. Mike reached for a doorknob, and when it didn't turn, he kicked the door in. The first thing he saw was Mark lying in a pool of blood. That didn't make sense. If Mark was incapacitated, then…

"Max!" he cried. In a flash, he was at her side, slipping a hand to the base of her neck to check for a pulse. Ryan ran into the room, seeing a bleeding Mark and like Mike, didn't care about him the second he saw Max. "She's alive," Mike chocked out, cradling her head and leaning over her to check her breathing. Upon seeing Mike cup her cheek, Ryan was reminded of why they were there to begin with.

"I told you not to touch her," he bellowed, lifting his gun back up to point it at Mike. "Get away from her, right now." Mike was taken back, but then a small movement from behind Ryan caused him to grab his own weapon and fire off six shots right in a row. Ryan whipped around to see Mark crumbling back down to the floor, the knife that had been in his back when they had entered the room now in his hand. He hit the ground, but Mike kept firing, shaking with rage until the click of his empty magazine sounded off the walls.

Once he was able to discern that Mark was in fact dead now, he tossed the gun to the side and turned his full attention back to Max as Ryan stood there in shock.

"Max, please, there is so much left for us. Come on, it's over and we get to start our lives now. You and me, remember? We deserve this. Wake up baby, please Max," Mike whispered to her, his voice breaking and his tears falling onto her face. He lifted her head up and pressed a kiss to her forehead before dragging her limp body into his lap to hold her. "Max," he pleaded again.

A light murmur from her caught both men's attention at once, and Ryan dropped to his knees on the other side of her that Mike was, picking up her hand and resting his hand on her head.

"We're right here, Max, hang in there," Ryan said, his voice also thick with tears and fear.

"WHERE IS THE MEDIC?" Mike yelled into the hallway. Ryan did a quick assessment for physical injuries, but found nothing other than defensive wounds on her hands and forearms. It didn't even look like she had been bound. Why would Mark not tie her up?

"Check for injection marks," Ryan said, starting with the hand he was holding. Mike didn't hesitate and checked the inside of her elbow. Nothing. He gently turned her head to the side and at the base of her neck, he saw a small puncture mark.

"Here," he said, gritting his teeth. Ryan shot up and started looking through the things on the table in the room. He pushed aside the thought that Mark had torture instruments he likely planned for Max. To the left, he saw a needle and small vile.

"No label," he said.

"Shit. Can you tell how much he gave her?" Mike asked. Before Ryan could answer, the medics burst into the room, shouting to one another and quickly making sure Max was stable before they put her onto the rolling stretcher. Stepping over Mark's body, the two men raced after the medics out to where they loaded Max into the ambulance. Both Ryan and Mike made a move to climb in with Max, but Ryan grabbed Mike's arm and yanked him away. As much as it killed him to back off, Mike knew that he didn't deserve to be with her. Today or any day. He would never be good enough. Without a word, Ryan climbed into the ambulance and grabbed Max's hand, gripping it tightly with both of his as he looked down utterly terrified at his unconscious niece. The doors shut and they drove away. Mike watched it go for a second before he hopped into his car, following right behind them.

* * *

_A/N~ Chapter 1, finished! I already have the second and likely last chapter started to wrap everything up, but I hope you've enjoyed the story thus far!_

_Xoxo fanatic218_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N~ Chapter 2! Most of this is conversation between Mike and Ryan, and I tried to keep it as close to character as possible. Enjoy!_

* * *

The emergency room was a blur. Ryan ran alongside the stretcher the medics put Max on for as long as he could before the doctors wouldn't let him go any further. As the nurses rolled her into the ER, they pointed him in the direction of the waiting room, where he walked in to see Mike already in a chair, his head in his hands.

In that moment, Ryan hated him. And in that moment, he couldn't imagine a day when he wouldn't.

"Hardy, can we have a moment," Agent Clark started to ask him, but Ryan pushed right by him, his eyes never leaving Mike, who with his head still down, didn't see Ryan's fist coming. The crack of Mike's nose made a sharp sound in the busy waiting room. Instead of pushing back or getting angry, as Ryan had expected, Mike just looked up at him.

"Again," Mike said with a dead voice. "I know I deserve it." With that, Ryan swung another punch at him, knocking him out of the chair this time. Before he could strike him a third time, Clark pulled him back.

"Get ahold of yourself man!" he yelled, pulling Ryan away. "Let me show you something," he said, dragging a fuming Ryan into an empty room where a laptop was set up. Clark pushed Ryan into the room and stood with his back to the door, his arms crossed over his chest as he gave the other man time to cool down. As much as he understood how protective Ryan was of his niece, things were obviously out of hand with Mike.

Ryan took a deep breath and slowly unclenched his fists, letting the fear for Max take center stage in his mind instead of his anger at Mike. Clark's face softened. "When you and Mike went to find Max and Mark, I sent a team to a suspected location where Mark was staying. They turned up this, among other things," Clark said before playing the video pulled up on the screen.

Ryan watched as the video began to play. It was from a camera planted somewhere in the living room of Max's apartment, starting with him, Max, and Max sitting on her couch. From the time stamp from three months ago, he remembered the day. They had been at Max's apartment all day that Saturday trying to have a normal Friday evening after a long day trying to find anything that would lead them to Mark. Ryan pushed aside the sick feeling in his stomach that Mark had planted a camera in Max's apartment – meaning he had been inside of her apartment before – to focus on what was happening after he saw himself get up and leave.

"_See you, Ryan," Max said as she walked him to the door._

"_Bye, man!" Mike yelled from his seat still on the couch as he left. Max closed the door and reset the alarm before walking into the small kitchenette._

"_And now we break out the beer," she joked with a smile, pulling two drinks from the fridge and walking back over to Mike, who willingly took one with a thank you. They clinked bottles and were quiet for a moment, but it was obvious to Ryan that it wasn't an uncomfortable silence._

_Mike then leaned back stretching one arm along the back of the couch so that it unconsciously reached towards Max, who was sitting far enough away that his hand would have only reached her shoulder if she leaned back as well. "I'm fine, since I know you're dying to ask how I'm doing," Mike said to be a smartass, but they both lightly laughed it off. He was about to say something else, but stopped when he looked over at her. A comfortable silence ensued again as Max leaned back against his arm and his hand made its way from the couch to the back of her shoulder and up the side of her neck to tuck a strand of loose hair behind her hair in a gentle caress._

_They both started leaning into one another when Mike suddenly pulled back. "We talked about this Max, I'm sorry," he said, taking a long swig of his beer as he leaned himself on his knees._

"_Mike," Max pleaded, reaching out to him, but Mike jumped up from the couch._

"_We can't, Max! This isn't over, not for any of us. Mark is out there, and he wants to kill me because of Lily, and when he finds out you were the one who killed Luke, he'll be out for you, too. We can't give him the leverage to use one of us against the other," Mike protested. "I shouldn't even still be here," he said quickly, grabbing his coat lying on the back of the couch, but before he could get anywhere, Max hopped up off the couch and kissed him._ Ryan dropped his eyes as the young couple exchanged a long kiss. He heard the kiss break and looked up to see their foreheads resting against one another.

"_We can't, Max," Mike repeated, his voice thick. "I can't let anything happen to you because of me." Max shook her head._

"_Mark is going to come anyway. Let him come. You said that after this we can talk about starting a real life, but this _is_ our reality, Mike. And you can try to push me as far away as you want, but that's not going to change the fact that I – " Max stopped abruptly, breaking the eye contact she had been trying to hold. When Mike didn't say anything, Max started to push herself away from him, embarrassed that she had said too much, but Mike tightened his arms around her and pulled her back against him, gently taking hold of her chin and turning her face to his._ _His voice was almost too soft to picked up by the video, but the words coming of out of his mouth were clear to Ryan on his lips._

"_I love you, too," Mike whispered to her before dipping his head to capture her lips with his again._ This time, even though he somehow felt as if he was intruding on an intimate moment, Ryan didn't look away as Mike and Max exchanged a passionate, loving kiss. Clark stopped the tape.

"The camera was planted a month after the raid that killed Luke. Mark knew Max was the one that had killed him and was watching her to learn more about her pattern. He was already planning on going after her before this happened, then realized later how much it would break Mike," Clark said, but Ryan didn't respond, still transfixed on the stilled image of his partner and niece. "What I'm trying to say," Clark continued, "is that Mike didn't lead him to her. And maybe, just maybe, he's hurting as much as you are right now." Ryan still didn't respond outwardly, but inside he knew that Clark was right. This was no one's fault but Marks.

* * *

Mike heard the door where Ryan and Clark had entered open again, but kept his head back and thumb and forefinger at the base of his nose to hold off the bleeding. His mind wasn't even with Ryan or what had just happened between the two of them anyway – it was back on Max. Mike blinked away tears as he pictured her face and smile, how just one look from her made him melt. It then flashed to her pale, bruised face on the floor of the compound he had found her. To his surprised, Ryan walked over to him and sat down without a word. The two sat in silence together, Ryan looking at Mike and Mike still looking at the ceiling.

"I know you hate me. I hate myself. I knew the risks before and I pursued her anyway. I put her in danger. I all but handed her over to Mark myself. It should have been me," Mike said, trying unsuccessfully to keep his voice steady. "It should have been me," he all but sobbed, dropping his head into his hands, stray tears and blood mixing together on his palm.

Ryan didn't know what to say. He put a hand on Mike's shoulder and gave him a comforting squeeze, which caused Mike to look over at him in surprise. "I love my niece, more than anything. She's one of the only people I have left on this earth who I care about, and who cares about me, and she is the best person I know," Ryan started. "And if, god forbid, she doesn't make it through this, it will kill me." He paused. "And I know it will kill you, too," Ryan finished. He saw Mike's bloodshot eyes and quivering mouth, and he had confirmation that Mike's words in the video were true. "Love will do that to you."

All Mike could do was nod as he let the silence sit. He didn't trust himself to be able to speak without breaking down completely, but Ryan's acceptance – if not forgiveness – meant the world to him. He clapped the older man on the back in a silent "thank you" as he leaned back and tried to better collect himself.

Agent Clark worked some kind of miracle and held off all the superiors trying to pull Mike and Ryan away for statements so that they could have time in silence to wait on an update on Max. Finally, a doctor came out, calling for Ryan. As Ryan stood, Mike made a move to as well before realizing his place and settling back down. Reluctantly, Ryan silently motioned Mike to come with him so that they could talk to the doctor together, and Mike quickly hustled over.

"She's going pull through just fine," the doctor reassured both of them with a comforting smile. Max and Ryan both nodded, but were more inclined to see that Max was okay for themselves. "Her attacker gave her a injection of a high dose beta blocker to slow her heart rate, but even though it was over the recommended dosage and caused her weakness and loss of consciousness, it wasn't enough to cause any serious damage. We're monitoring her heart, but she's awake and already more alert than we expected," the doctor continued.

"When can we see her?" Ryan asked.

"I'll bring you back to her. She can only have one visitor at a time, and I recommend you keep it short. She's still fairly sedated and in recovery," the doctor said as he motioned for them to follow him down a hallway. Mike and Ryan stopped outside of Max's room.

"I'll, uh, wait outside first," Mike offered. Just because Ryan had acknowledged Mike's love for his niece didn't mean that the man would honestly let him go in to see her first, and Mike needed a little more time to calm himself down first and clean the blood off his face. Ryan nodded and opened the door and stepped in.

* * *

"I thought you were dead," Ryan said after a long pause, still leaning against the closed door.

"I know. But I'm not," she said, reflecting an earlier conversation they seemed to be having all too often. Even though the doctor sounded optimistic, Ryan was still worried at the sight of Max's lack of color and the multiple IVs and monitors surrounding her bed.

"It was even more real this time, and you didn't respond when we found you, and…" Ryan stopped himself before he broke down. She was right in front of him – she was going to be fine.

"Everything is really fuzzy. What happened?" Max asked, though she wasn't sure if she really wanted to know all the details. Ryan sighed.

"You went to the store for Brenda Weston, and once you were separated, Mark took out the officer with you before grabbing you. He called us." Ryan had to stop for a moment and collect himself. Max had a look of horror on her face.

"Oh god, Ryan. I'm sorry," she whispered, knowing just how hard that was to hear. Ryan opted not to tell her about the pictures of her and Mike yet. "Brenda – is she ok?" Ryan nodded with a sad smile. It was just like Max to ask about other people when she was the one in the hospital.

"He hung up the phone and we thought for sure that you were…" He changed subjects. "Anyway, we got a location off the call and found you. Do you remember what happened to Mark?" he asked.

Max furrowed her brow as she thought hard about it. She looked down at her bruised hands. "I fought him?" she said, half unsure. Ryan gave her a small proud smile.

"Yeah, but you got those before he took you to the warehouse. He didn't tie you up since you were drugged, but you somehow jumped up and incapacitated him until we got there."

Max nodded slowly. "I remember gun shots," she said simply. Ryan swallowed.

"That, uh, that was Mike. We were focused on you and didn't realize that Mark wasn't dead. He was about to get me from behind when Mike finished him," Ryan answered. At the mention of Mike's name, Max perked up.

"You probably already know by now," she started, dropping her eyes before looking back at her uncle. "But Mike and I, we have a really good thing going. Really good. And I know you're thinking that this is his fault – that he put me in danger – but it's not. This is Mark's doing, not Mike's," she tried to impress on Ryan. Deep down, Ryan knew that, but his fear and anger were still so close to the surface that his emotions were hard to control in regards to their relationship. "He didn't even want to be together for this reason exactly, but I pushed him. I knew that this could happen, and I chose be with him anyway because I've never had someone I care about as much as him. And I know this is killing him, because if the roles were reversed, it would kill me too. I love him, Ryan," Max said, her voice getting thick as a tear spilled down her cheek. "I love him, so please don't be angry with him. Don't blame him. He's blaming himself right now enough." That much Ryan knew was true, thinking back to Mike's dead eyes when the call cut off.

Max's words left an impression. Ryan nodded and gave her hand a squeeze. "And don't blame yourself either," Max finished. Ryan noticed her hand wasn't gripping his as strongly anymore, and could sense her slipping back to sleep. Although there was so much more left unsaid, Ryan stood up.

"You think you have enough energy for one more visitor?" he asked with a small smile, opening the door. "Mike," he called out softly. The younger man shot up from his spot on the uncomfortable bench in the hallway, taking large quick steps towards the room.

The moment he got to the doorway, he screeched to a halt, afraid to enter and cause her more harm. "Mike," Max called to him, her voice soft. He felt like he had cottonmouth – he opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. "Come here," she said, this time getting through to him. Unable to deny her anything, he was at the side of her bed in an instant, gently grasping both her bruised hands with one of his and cupping her face with the other.

Ryan watched from the doorway as Mike dotted over Max, stroking her hair, her face, softly and lovingly running his hands over her face and body to make sure she was all there in one piece, her eyes never leaving his face as he soaked in for himself that she was alive.

"Max," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry," he said over and over even as she shook her head.

With the little bit of strength she had left, Max lifted her hand to place it on top of one of his, grasping onto him as tightly as she could. "Not your fault," she said with a small smile. His eyes filled with more tears and he dropped his head to blink them away. Max could feel herself falling back to sleep, and despite having so much to say to him, she whispered a simple "I love you" before giving Mike's hand another light squeeze and drifting off to sleep.

"I love you, too, Max," he whispered back after she was asleep, but he made no move to leave her until a nurse came in, gently shooing both him and Ryan away so that she could check Max's monitors. The two men silently sat on the bench outside her room, watching the closed door intently, as if she would magically walk out any minute.

Ryan watched Mike stare at Max's door and let himself absorb the interaction he had witnessed between the two of them and Max's earlier plea to not blame Mike. She was right about one thing for sure – Mike was blaming himself.

"How long have you two been…together?" Ryan asked softly, not wanting to give away what he already knew from the video Clark had showed him.

Mike looked down at his hands. "Three months," he said after a short pause. "Um, there was kind of a built up since all this started, and the day Joe Carroll was arrested..." he trailed off awkwardly, unsure of what he should tell Ryan. "That was the first time we acknowledged that there were some feelings, but Mark was still out there and we decided that shouldn't be more than friends for a while, but a couple month after that, it just happened." Mike sucked in breath and fondly thought back to that first night with Max, when all the tension and build up finally broke through and they finally confessed their love for one another…and everything that happened afterwards.

"I'm sorry, Ryan. God, this was all my fault. Mark –" Ryan cut him off.

"Mark was already planning on killing Max. He knew that she was one who pulled the trigger on Luke and was watching her, just like he was watching you. Yeah, your relationship fueled him on, but you didn't lead him to her. Okay?" Ryan said. Mike looked at him in shock.

"He was watching her?" Mike asked, bitter hatred seething into his voice as he tensed up. Fueled off the younger man's anger, Ryan clenched his jaw too.

"Somehow got a camera into her apartment about a month after Joe's arrest." Mike froze. "I don't know what's going to happen with the footage yet. Clark mentioned that he's sending people to collect it now," Ryan said. Mike nodded, still furious that Mark had been watching her so intimately, but also nervous about Ryan – or really anyone – seeing the video.

"She going to be mortified if anyone watches it," Mike said simply, which was true. No one wants their colleges to see their personal lives in such a personal, invasive way. Ryan nodded in agreement, assuring him that the videos had evidence holds until Max could go through them herself. Before Mike could say anything else, the nurse came back out.

"All is well, it was just a routine check. We're going to keep her overnight, but the doctor doesn't think there is any reason to keep her past tomorrow morning," she said with a kind smile.

"Tomorrow morning?" Mike confirmed, feeling all the pent-up pressure leave his chest. Things were going to be okay.

* * *

_A/N~ One more chapter to go! Next installment will wrap everything up. I hope you've all enjoyed the story thus far!_

_Xoxo fanatic218_


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